1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a collapsible tennis table which is relatively simple in construction and wherein, when folded, provides a compact unit for shipping and storage purposes.
2. Description of the Prior Art
Collapsible or foldable tables, such as hobby and game tables, and tennis tables are well known. Many of these are designed with wheels or casters to facilitate movement and to occupy smaller storage areas. In order to provide for the collapsibility feature, the prior art tables include a number of complex parts which are relatively expensive. To accommodate smaller shipping sizes, the prior tables are typically unassembled. In this case, assembly can take a number of hours and requires at least two people. Further, a large number of parts are involved in partially assembled tables. In many cases, parts such as bolts and nuts are missing or lost and customers cannot assemble a table and generally become frustrated. A frustrated customer tends to call the store from which the table is purchased or the manufacturer themselves.
To assemble the table also requires a number of tools, some of which are not available in the average household. Some manufacturers ship fully assembled tables to customers requiring substantially large packaging and higher shipping costs. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,085 discloses a collapsible table which is relatively large in size even after it is collapsed. Large assembled units are difficult to deliver to a number of dwellings with a recreation room in the basement or off an indirect hallway. At times, it is required to disassemble the table to take it to the place of intended use.
The opening and closing of the table requires a number of steps such as locking, unlocking, pushing together and pulling apart. These steps must be taken in a precise sequence. If the sequence is missed, it can cause serious injury to the user and damage property. Many of the prior art collapsible tables have a high profile and require a relatively tall person with some physical strength to open and close the table, making it difficult, it not impractical, for a young child or a chair-bound handicapped person to operate the table. There is also the inconvenience of attaching and disassembling the net and bracket on the tennis table. Although some tables leave the net and bracket attached to the table when folding and storing, the bracket extends outwardly enough to be hazardous. U.S. Pat. No. 5,816,957, issued Oct. 6, 1998 and assigned to the assignee of the present invention, discloses a collapsible tennis table which overcomes the disadvantages noted hereinabove. However, the compact tennis table disclosed in that patent utilizes a connecting, or cross, member to join parallel frame members together. The joining process requires additional parts (i.e. the cross member itself, four bolts and ring nuts) increasing the cost thereof and additional user steps to assemble the tennis table, which may lessen the marketability of the product.
What is thus desired is to provide a collapsible table which is easy to assemble, is relatively inexpensive and which enables the young person and handicapped to have access to the table.